The defense of the title in the Spanish Superbike Championship did not start in the best way for Ivo Lopes, with the Portuguese rider unable to extract the best performance from his bike at the Jerez – Angel Nieto circuit, although he managed to finish second in the first race he participated in.
Before the races, Lopes (BMW easyRace Team) was sixth in qualifying, just two tenths off the desired pole position.
Initially, the Portuguese rider gained positions and reached third place, but then, after some mistakes, dropped to fifth place before the race was interrupted with a red flag.
In the restart, with only five laps to go, Lopes had a strong start and even led the race but was eventually overtaken and, in second place, approached the race more defensively, waiting for the right moment to attack. He ended up in second place, showing a cool head and calculated strategy instead of risking a potential crash.
Yesterday in the second race of the weekend in the category, things did not go well for the reigning champion, with Lopes keeping up with the faster riders during the first ten laps of the race. However, with some mistakes along the way and a bike that didn’t give him the best sensations and confidence to push harder.
Lopes ended up finishing fourth, 12.418s behind the winner Borja Gómez (Team Honda LaGlisse).
Race results:
